1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to illumination devices. More particularly, this invention relates to illumination devices on communication devices such as wireless or cellular phones or personal digital assistants. Even more particularly this invention relates to illumination devices on communication devices in which color, brightness, and illumination pattern is responsive to an audio signal.
2. Description of Related Art
Color organs or light organs are well known in the art. During the 1960's and 1970's, the term color organ referred to devices that converted sound to images which were synchronized with sound, particularly the audio generated during the musical performances. These devices usually had electronic filters that created frequency bands of the sound of the music. The frequency bands were coupled to colored lights whose brightness was dependent upon the amplitude and period of the particular frequencies of the frequency band.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,749,011 (Wilfred) provides a moving color projection, was a kind of light sculpture. The device was termed a “clavilux” and this term has become associated with the presentations created for light or color organs.
Motorola, Inc., Schaumberg, Ill. Markets a cellular telephone (Model V600) that provides a feature referred to as Situational Lights. The cover light on a V600 cellular telephone glows with every call. The color of the cover light and pattern are programmable to match ring tone or according to a Java programming script.
“PIC_Hi-Tech_C_Mike_Pearces_disco_light_controller,” Found Jun. 9, 2004 at www.microchipc.com/sourcecode, contains schematics for a “color organ” that receives an audio signal, filters the signal and with a program running in a microcontroller modulates lights according to the audio signals.
Multiple color organ electronic kits are available from manufacturers and distributors such as Apogee Kits of Frisco, Tex. These kits, when assembled, provide electronic circuits that modulate lights according to an input audio signal.
The Encyclopedia of Electronic Circuits, Graf, TAB Books, Inc, Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., 1985 provides schematics of circuits for a sound modulated light source and an audio controlled lamp. Each circuit receives an audio signal and modulates a light based on the amplitude of the signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,581 (Stuyvenberg) describes an audio amplitude-responsive lighting display varying the intensity of a plurality of lights in accordance with plural channel audio amplitude signals. The lights are responsive to separate channels of audio amplitude signals, with each bank of lights being responsive to the amplitude of the associated channel of audio amplitude signals
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,280 (Molinaro) teaches an acoustical visual sound device used for the visual interpretation of a received acoustical or electrical sound signal. The device has a filter for passing the intelligence contained within a band of frequencies of a received sound signal. A multistage amplifier amplifies the passed intelligence to a sufficient power level to operate an electro visual means connected at the output thereof throughout its operable visual variable range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,399 (Hornstein) provides an audio display module and audio responsive circuit. The display module includes a plurality of light sources mounted in an enclosure. The audio responsive circuit is connected in circuit with the light sources. The circuit includes means for providing an electrical signal representative of an audio signal. Additionally, the circuit includes at least a first and second counter for driving the light sources in response to the electrical signal. Each of the counters has first and second inputs responsive to a positive and a negative edge, respectively, of the electrical signal to initiate the operation of the counter. The circuit also includes circuits for altering which of the first and second counters responds to the positive or negative edges of the electrical signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,188 (Drago, et al.) describes a synthesized music, sound and light system that is incorporated into articles of clothing, such as a pair of shoes. The system when activated, allows a multiplicity of lights to illuminate in synchrony with the rhythmic beat of either an internal or an external music or sound program that is heard through an audio transducer. When the system is incorporated into a pair of shoes, a person can perform a dance routine or other form of expression in compliment with the selected music and light program. To enhance the utility of the invention, the system includes three user operated controls: a music program select switch that allows the selection of musical light programs, a control that allows the speed of the lights and rhythmic beat of the selected program to be increased or decreased, and a control that allows setting the volume of the sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,096 (Paist) teaches a dual audio signal derived color display that displays two-channel audio input signals in a three-color visual pattern. In general, the visual pattern may be formed on a viewing screen by an apparently moving spot having three color components. Phase shifting means are employed to phase shift one of the two audio input signals, and both audio input signals are subsequently processed by low pass filters to produce positioning signals in X-Y coordinates for the spot which forms the visual pattern. In addition, the two audio input signals are also mixed and separately processed by a high pass filter, a band-pass filter and a low pass filter to produce frequency separated signals for controlling the intensity of each of three color components of the spot forming the visual pattern. Automatic color balance means utilizing negative feedback is employed to control the amplitude of the separate frequency-discriminated audio signals. Preferably, the display unit employs a color cathode ray tube and may comprise equipment of the type normally found in video games or in a color television receiver altered to accept X-Y position and color information. This display permits the simultaneously presentation of a plurality of colors which correspond to audio input.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,724 (Hvass) illustrates a method and apparatus for the conversion of sound waves to light. The sound waves are converted to an electrical signal and processed by a number of filters, the distribution between the filters being a result of the frequency of the sound wave and in which the filters are subsequently connected to their respective color display and where the individual color display's activation is directly proportional to their filter's amount of signal processing and where the color display visualization in a display means is in the form of a single color or a mixture of two or more color displays.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,937 (Jacobsen, et al.) details a microdisplay system that utilizes a small high resolution active matrix liquid crystal display with an illumination system and a magnifying optical system to provide a hand held communication display device. The system has an alternating common voltage which allows reduced power consumption. In addition an internal heating system in the display allows the system to be used at low temperatures. The system can employ an LED illumination system and cellular communication or processor circuits within a compact housing to provide communication devices such as pagers, telephones, televisions, and hand held computer or card reader devices with a compact high resolution data and/or video display.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,720,863 (Hull, et al.) describes a mobile electronic communication device includes a processor unit, a transceiver, a keypad and a light unit. Each key of the keypad is associated with a contact of a contact list. The light unit can perform light functions to notify a user of the reception and/or status of messages received via the transceiver. The light functions include providing an indication of the age of a received message that was sent by a contact in the contacts list. The age of the message is indicated by a modulation of the illuminating light. The age of a message may be indicated as one of a set of predetermined age ranges, with each age range being represented by a unique color.
U.S. patent application 20020154787 (Rice, et al.) illustrates a modular light dancer controller for use with holiday and other lighting displays is used to create dynamic, interesting multi-colored lighting displays in response to sound.
U.S. patent application 20010050756 (Lipton, et al.) teaches a color organ is realized through software programming. Audio signals are input to a microprocessor-based controller. The controller then correlates an object to each audio signal on the basis of selected waveform characteristics. The object is then rendered for display on an electronic display. The display may be auto-stereoscopic, or it may be viewed through a stereoscopic selection device.